Chapter 15: Training
Though Xio's mind swirled with questions, she kept them to herself. She sensed that even if Enber knew the answers, he wouldn't reveal them just yet.
Besides, if Enber truly understood everything, then he must have a reason for keeping silent for now. Xio trusted her friend enough to wait patiently.
'And once our friendship deepens, maybe I'll be able to probe him here and there, then investigate on my own.' she thought.
Unaware of her musings, Enber followed her into the backyard shooting range and asked curiously, "With all those businessmen who bought this place meeting tragic ends, are there actually spirits haunting it?" He had no way of seeing spirits yet unless he performed a ritual, and that was too time-consuming.
"Those businessmen all had different faiths, so both the Nighthawks and the Mandated Punishers investigated. I don't know what the Nighthawks found, but the Mandated Punishers fought a fierce battle here with a powerful Extraordinary. One of their members was gravely injured. I heard that recently they've been cracking down on gangs in East Borough because one of them killed that injured member," Xio explained after a moment's thought.
Enber frowned, thinking, The Church of the Storms supposedly has access to some 'Reader' potion formulas. Could the Extraordinary characteristics my predecessor found have belonged to that unfortunate Punisher? But how did he manage to haul himself all the way from the northern suburbs to the Bridge District while so badly injured? Surely not by taking the subway…
"So… is it safe now?" Enber asked, glancing around nervously, half-worried a Punisher squad might suddenly pin him to the ground. As a follower of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, he would certainly be considered a heretic in the eyes of the Lord of Storms.
"Don't worry; it's been cleansed and left unmonitored for a long time. I've come a few times without issue. Old Todd, the caretaker, also told me no one's been around in ages. He can't speak or write, but he knows some sign language," Xio reassured him.
That eased Enber's nerves somewhat. After all, he was only here to practice shooting, not to use any mystical powers. Even if officials noticed them, a pair of young people using a private range for target practice wouldn't be worth much attention.
Xio wasted no time. She thoroughly explained shooting techniques, safety rules, and training routines for quickly improving one's aim.
After listening carefully, Enber gripped his revolver, raised it toward a target ten meters away, and practiced his stance as Xio had instructed. He didn't fire right away, repeating the motions again and again.
From time to time, Xio corrected his posture, tapping his arm into place, her youthful face carrying the authority of an instructor. Ten minutes later, she finally nodded in approval.
Enber took a short rest, rubbed his sore arms, then stepped forward with renewed determination. He raised the gun properly and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
His arm shook, his body leaned back, and the shot went wide.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One after another, he fired slowly, adjusting a little each time. By the last bullet, he could at least feel the weapon more steadily in his grip.
"Not bad. You're starting to hit the target," Xio praised. "You have a decent sense for it. A few more sessions, and you'll be about on par with the average marksman at West Vilas Field."
Enber wasn't too satisfied. One hit out of six shots wouldn't save him in a real fight.
Still, after more practice, he began hitting more consistently—once even landing an 8-point shot. With that, they moved on to combat training.
Xio sparred with him to gauge his skills. Within half a minute, Enber was on the ground again, groaning from his third fall.
'Miss Xio may be petite, but she's strong… that must be the Arbiter potion.' he thought, rubbing his sore back.
"Actually, Enber, you have a solid foundation. Your strength and reflexes are well above average, so you've clearly trained before. But you lack real combat experience. Without proper technique, you're only using about thirty to forty percent of your strength. That's why you're this easy to knock down," Xio observed plainly.
Enber was startled. His predecessor's memories had no trace of physical training, nor did the Reader's formula improve physical ability.
So my golden finger boosted my constitution? Just enough to give me an edge, but not enough to seem supernatural… That's actually convenient, he realized.
"With your current ability, I can start teaching you proper combat techniques. Keep up your strength training too… I'll show you some knight exercises—they'll be more effective than what you've been doing," Xio said.
She demonstrated moves and drills, which Enber copied carefully.
With her guidance, his progress was rapid. By late morning, he could even hold his ground against her for a move or two.
As he was due at Detective Isengard's later that afternoon to study mysticism, they tidied up the range before heading back to the city.
Before leaving, Xio hesitated. Watching his back, she finally spoke,
"Enber, I actually wanted your advice on something."
"What's on your mind?" he asked, turning.
"Well… I want to investigate the truth behind a noble's rebellion case. Do you have any suggestions where I should start?" she asked, taking a deep breath.
Enber instantly knew she meant her father's case. He hadn't intended to interfere—she was meant to uncover the truth after joining the Tarot Club. But his meddling might have changed things. Without her arrest, Fors might never meet Miss Audrey, and without that, neither of them might join the Club.
If that's true, the consequences could be severe. Xio might never learn the truth about her father… and Fors could end up as dried fish under the full red moon!
Feeling the weight of responsibility, Enber decided to help. After a pause, he said,
"Secrets of the court are usually only known by the highest nobility. You should try making inroads into their circle."
"Nobility? But with my current status, I can't get close to them, let alone ask about the truth," Xio frowned.
"At first, don't approach the highest nobility. Instead, start with their children. Many noble sons and daughters dabble in mysticism—that could be your way in. If you have friends with modest reputations, they can help you connect. Build trust through exchanging knowledge or small favors, and only later ask about sensitive matters," Enber suggested gently.
Fors came to Xio's mind immediately, though she sighed at the thought of her friend's aversion to socializing. Alone, it would be difficult to approach any nobles.
"Do you know any suitable nobles I could approach?" she asked, sensing a deliberate purpose in Enber's words.
"Viscount Glaint. His character isn't bad, and he comes from a modest family background. He's a good start," Enber replied without hesitation.
He had thought of Audrey but dismissed it—Earl Hall's daughter was far too high-ranking. A stepping stone like Glaint would be more realistic.
"Viscount Glaint…" Xio knew of him. As Enber said, his standing wasn't high. He had inherited his title young and was unlikely to know much about a court conspiracy. Still, perhaps he could be a step toward the truth.
She decided to trust Enber and planned to ask Fors for help.
As they left through the back gate, ripples shimmered across a bedroom window on the manor's second floor. From the glass emerged the figure of a woman in a black regal dress.
She had light golden hair, pale skin, and exquisite features. A small black bonnet rested on her head. She settled into an illusory high-backed chair in the glass, her left hand on her right elbow, her right hand propping her cheek, and silently watched as Enber and Xio disappeared from view.
(End of Chapter)